On My Radar: Rogier Schalken

What’s the best ad campaign you’ve seen recently?

I’m always in search of new ways to integrate film within interactive experiences — it’s something I look out for when looking at other campaigns. There are a lot of great projects out there, but the one that stuck the most over the last few months is the campaign around the launch of Assassin's Creed Unity (below). Adding user generated avatars into an animated short was done on such an epic scale that you can only watch, look around and admire it.

What website(s) do you use most regularly and why?

We use Google Maps frequently when working on projects. It still boggles my mind that we can explore parts of the earth that we would never see otherwise. The ability to explore major cities in 3D also comes in handy when searching for shooting locations abroad.

What’s the most recent piece of tech that you’ve bought and why?

The tech I was recently excited about was the 360 rig (below) we designed and built from scratch. The quality and workflow of 360 cameras/rigs on the current market are frustrating to handle and have low video quality, so we decided to build one ourselves. With the VR revolution around the corner, it was great to see and learn the tech behind it. We even used it for a live experience at South Korea's Busan international Film Festival.

Facebook, Instagram or Twitter?

Nowadays, definitely Twitter. On Twitter, I only follow people, bloggers or companies I admire, so my feed is curated. Facebook is like Christmas dinner with relatives, after a while they get drunk and things get a bit messy.

What’s your favourite app on your phone and why?

Both the new Google Agenda and Street View apps are too fantastic not to mention. With the new Street View app you can take 360° spheres and post them on Google Maps (below). For me, it’s a much more effective way to explain to the crew and client what you’re planning to do. It also helps the VFX guys visualize the scene better. If you go to Vancouver Siwash Rock, you can view a sphere I uploaded for the latest Wrangler campaign.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is my all-time favourite. His execution of political satire was brilliant, and I am looking forward to seeing how his successor, Trevor Noah, will shape the show. I also watch a lot of documentaries that analyze our current society, such as VPRO Backlight’s The Human Robot.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

Fight Club, hands down. Even today that film has great relevance. It has a very dystopian way of looking at society. The phrase “The things you own, end up owning you” always stuck with me. Now, 16 years later, you only need to take a look around in a public place to see the world Fight Club foreshadowed.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

Alone in the car with really loud music. It helps me relax, and that’s when things pop up. Jon Hopkins always works.

What’s the most significant change you’ve witnessed in the industry since you started working in it?

Broadband internet, which gave the (re)birth of interactive films. This genre of film is evolving rapidly with every new piece of technology that comes out. MediaMonks Films was founded to explore ways we could enhance experiences by combining film and new technologies.

If there was one thing you could change about the advertising industry, what would it be?

Let’s all start using the same timezone, that’d be great.

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

The who is simple; video artist Chris Cunningham. He showed me that the rules for filmmaking should be challenged. But traveling to different countries and meeting new people in the industry gave me a better understanding of production, as well as what I wanted to do myself.